Univ.of  m.  Library 

54 

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Oak  Street 
UNCLASSIFIED 


"Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle 


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VERSUS 

LEAGUE  OF  AMERICA 


HISTORIC  AL  ADDRESS 


DELIVKREIl  BEFORE  THE 


Tazewell  County  Historical  Society 


By  William  Henry  Bates 


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Note:. — Tine  above  bronze  tablet  has  been  placed  on  the  west  wall 
of  the  building  at  33.1  Court  street,  Pekin,  Illinois,  to  commemorate 
the  birthplace  off  the  first  Council  of  the  Union  League  of  America, 
and  as  a  tribute  to  the  patriotic  and  loyal  people  off  Tazewell  County 
during  the  great  American  Civil  War.  The  Council  lodge  room  was 
in  the  third-story  of  the  above  manned  building. 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS 

Delivered  before  the  Tazewell  County  Historical  Society,  by 
WILLIAM  HENRY  BATES 


At  the  Court  House,  Pekin,  Illinois,  December  7,  1920 


BROTHER  PRESIDENT,  LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN: 

We  have  assembled  to  dedicate  the  erection  of  a  bronze  tablet  and 
pay  tribute  to  the  memory  of  those  patriots  who  organized  and  were 
members  of  the  first  Council  of  the  Union  League  of  America  instituted 
in  the  Northern  States. 

In  order  to  give  you  a  better  understanding  of  the  motive  that  led 
to  the  organization  of  the  Union  League  of  America,  I  feel  it  my  duty, 
in  as  brief  a  manner  as  possible,  to  speak  of  the  causes  that  called  the 
Union-loving  adherents  of  our  grand  galaxy  of  States,  under  the  glori¬ 
ous  Star  and  Stripes,  to  organize  and  pledge  allegiance  to  the  best 
Government  on  earth. 

According  to  the  report  made  by  Hon.  J.  Holt,  Judge  Advocate 
General  of  the  Bureau  of  Military  Justice,  to  Hon.  E.  M.  Stanton,  Sec¬ 
retary  of  War,  under  date  of  October  8th,  1864,  we  learn  that  about  the 
time  of  the  first  conscription  of  troops,  during  the  war  between  the 
slave  and  free  States,  northern  sympathizers  with  those  in  rebellion 
against  the  National  Government,  organized  under  the  following  titles: 
“Mutual  Protection  Society,”  the  “  Circle  of  Honor,”  or  the  “  Circle,” 
or  “  Knights  of  the  Mighty  Host,”  “Southern  League,”  “Order  of  the 
Sons  of  Liberty,”  “McClellan  Minute  Guard,”  “Order  of  the  American 
Knights,”  etc.,  but  more  widely  as  the  “Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle.” 

The  membership  of  these  various  societies  organized  themselves 
into  bodies  called  “  Temples ’’—individually  they  were  often  spoken  of 
as  “  Copperheads.”  In  the  Northern  States  their  membership  reached 
a  grand  total  of  350,000,  two-thirds  of  whom  were  armed,  organized 
into  military  units  and  drilled.  According  to  the  secret  constitution  of 


a  OF  ILL.  hr.. 


LIBRARY  - - 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


HISTORICAL  A D D R E S S 


4 

its  Supreme  Council,  provision  was  made  that  the  Supreme  Coni' 
maader  44  shall  be  Commander  of  all  Military/  forces  belonging  to  the 
Orders  in  the  various  States*,  when  called  info  actual  service.17 

The  oath,  which  was;  administered  to  the  members  of  the  K.  G.  O., 
prescribed  a  penalty  for  its  violation,  as  follows:  iiA  shameful  death ! 
and  further ,  that  the  body  of  the  person  guilty  of  such  violation  shall  be 
divided  into  four  parts  and  cast  to  the  four  gates  of  the  Temple!” 

Not  only  did  the  K.  G.  C.  oath  enjoin  a  blind  obedience  to  the  com¬ 
mands  of  the  Superiors  of  the  Order,  but  was  required  to  be  held  of 
64 paramount  obligation  to  any  oath  which  may  he  administered  to  any 
member  in  a  court  of  justice ,  or  elsewhere..17 

Through  signs,  passwords  or  signals,  any  K.  G.  C.  member  was  per¬ 
mitted  to  pass  through  the  Confederate  lines,  and  was  received  and  en¬ 
tertained  as  a  friend  of  the  secession  cause. 

A  few  of  the  many  traitorous  principles  of  the  K.  G.  C.,  was  to 
harass  the  families  of  the  Union  soldiers,  thus  causing  their  desertion 
so  they  could  come  home  to  protect  fathers,  mothers,  wives,  and 
children.  Resist  all  recruiting  for  the  Union  army.  To  liberate,  by 
force  if  necessary,  all  Confederate  prisoners  confined  in  northern 
prisons.  Co-operating  with  Confederate  raiders,  through  the  K.  G. 
C.  signals  and  passwords. 

Through  reliable  evidence  given  to  the  court  over  which  Judge  Holt 
presided,  it  was  proven  that  Jeff  Davis,  as  welt  as  many  leaders  in  and 
out  of  the  Confederate  army,  were  members  of  one  of  the  several 
traitorous  bodies  named  above. 

THE  UNION  LEAGUE. 

The  birth  of  the  Union  League  was  attributable  to  the  loyal  men  of 
Tennessee,  who,  when  driven  from  their  homes  by  their  41  seeesh 71 
neighbors,  soon  after  the  opening  of  the  civil  war,  sought  refuge  in 
inaccessible  plaees  and  eaves  in  the  mountains  of  their  State,  and  gath¬ 
ered  around  improvised  altars,  covered  with  44  Old  Glory/*  on  which 
lay  the  open  Bible,  and  with  left  hand  on  the  Sacred  Word  of  God  and 
their  right  band  raised  toward  Heaven,  took  an  oath  of  fealty  to  the 
Government  of  their  forefathers  and  hatred  to  traitors  and  all  auto¬ 
cratic  secessionists  and  their  co-workers. 

Thus  was  born  the  Union  League,  which  was  to  have  a  new  birth, 
with  the  word  America  added  to  its  title,  at  Pekin,  Illinois,  on  the  25th 
of  June.  This  was  the  first  Council  t  or  Lodge!  of  the  U.  L.  of  A., 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS 


and  its  Northern  birth  took  place  in  the  third  story  of  the  brick  build¬ 
ing  at  331  Court  street,  known  for  many  years  as  the  Smith  Bank 
building,  and  on  which  we  have  placed  a  bronze  tablet  in  commem¬ 
oration,  and  as  a  tribute,  to  the  loyal  citizens  of  Tazewell  County. 

It  is  an  authenticated  fact  that  the  Union  League  of  America 
received  aid  and  sanction  from  President  Abraham  Lincoln. 

The  first  Council  was  composed  of  leading  Union  men  of  Tazewell 
County,  to-wit:  John  W.  Glassgow,  J.  P. ;  Dr.  D.  A.  Cheever,  Hart 
Montgomery,  Major  R.  N.  Cullom,  Alexander  Small,  Rev.  J.  W.  M. 
Vernon,  Geo.  H.  Harlow,  Chas.  Turner,  Jonathan  Merriam,  Henry 
Pratt  and  L.  F.  Garrett.  One  of  the  original  eleven  was  a  Tennessee 
refugee,  who  introduced  the  Union  mountaineers’  oath,  which  was  ac¬ 
cepted  pending  the  reorganization  in  the  North. 

The  U.  L.  of  A.  grew  rapidly,  and  on  September  25th,  1862,  the 
first  Illinois  State  Council  met  at  Bloomington,  Ill.,  with  representatives 
from  twelve  counties.  At  this  meeting  the  organization  was  completed 
and  the  following  officers  chosen: 

Hon.  Mark  Bangs,  of  Marshall  County,  Grand  President;  Prof.  D. 
Wilkins,  of  McLean  County,  Grand  Vice-President;  Geo.  H.  Harlow,  of 
Tazewell  County,  Grand  Secretary;  H.  S.  Austin,  of  Peoria  County, 
Grand  Treasurer;  J.  R.  Gorin,  of  Macon  County,  Grand  Marshal;  A. 
Gould,  of  Henry  County,  Grand  Herald;  John  E.  Rosette,  of  Sangamon 
County,  Grand  Sentinel. 

The  Executive  Committee  chosen  was  as  follows:  Joseph  Medill, 
of  Cook  County;  Dr.  A.  McFarland,  of  Morgan  County;  J.  K.  Warren, 
of  Macon  County;  Rev.  J.  C.  Rybolt,  of  LaSalle  County;  Hon.  Mark 
Bangs,  of  Marshall  County;  Enoch  Emery,  of  Peoria  County;  John  E. 
Rosette,  of  Sangamon  County. 

A  new  constitution  and  by-laws  were  adopted  and  a  new  ritual  pre¬ 
pared  at  the  Bloomington  meeting.  The  Tennessee  obligation  was  con¬ 
densed,  and  the  initiatory  ceremony  made  more  appropriate  and 
impressive.  New  forms  in  grips,  signs  and  passwords  were  adopted, 
which  soon  became  national. 

The  second  meeting  of  the  Grand  Council  was  held  at  the  Capital 
of  Illinois  on  January  14th,  1863.  Only  seven  counties  were  repre¬ 
sented,  and  the  meeting  proved  uneventful,  owing,  doubtless,  to  the 
discouraging  news  from  the  battle  lines. 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS 


The  U-  L.  of  A.  soon  became  imbued  with  new  life  and  zeal.  In  a 
few  months  its  membership  had  increased  from  5,000  to  50,000,  and  in 
18*54  the  order  had  enrolled  1,300  Councils  and  175,000  members  in 
Illinois.  On  the  return  of  the  three-year  Union  veteran  soldiers  many 
soon  became  members  of  the  U.  L.  of  A. 

The  next  meeting  of  the  Grand  Council  was  held  in  Chicago  on  the 
-5th  of  March,  1863.  Four  hundred  and  four  Councils  were  repre¬ 
sented  from  Illinois  alone.  The  following  States  were  also  represented : 
Ohio,  Indiana.  Michigan,  Iowa,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota.  At  this 
meeting  steps  were  taken  to  organize  a  National  Council,  which  culmin¬ 
ated  in  a  call  to  meet  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  on  May  ‘20th,  1863,  where 
the  following  National  officers  were  elected: 

Hon.  J.  M.  Edmunds,  National  Grand  President;  Hon.  John  W. 
Forney,  National  Grand  Vice-President;  Hon.  Green  Adams,  National 
Grand  Vice-President;  W.  R.  Irwin,  National  Grand  Recording-Corre 
sponding  Secretary;  Rev.  Byron  Sunderland,  National  Grand  Treas¬ 
urer;  G.  F.  Brown,  National  Grand  Herald;  Geo.  W.  Kellogg,  National 
Grand  Sentinel.  The  above  grand  officers  were  all  residents  of  Wash¬ 
ington,  D.  C. 

The  Illinois  ritual  was  adopted  by  the  National  Grand  Council  with 
few  changes. 

The  obligation  adopted  was  as  follows: 

OBLIGATION: 

“I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm),  in  the  presence  of  God  and  these 
witnesses,  that  I  have  never  voluntarily  borne  arms  against  the  United 
States  since  I  have  been  a  citizen  thereof;  that  I  will  support,  protect 
and  defend  the  Constitution  and  Government  of  the  United  States  and 
the  flag  thereof,  against  all  enemies,  foreign  and  domestic;  that  I  will 
bear  true  faith  and  allegiance  to  the  same;  and  that  I  will  also  defend 
this  State  against  any  invasion,  insurrection,  or  rebellion,  to  the  extent 
of  my  ability.  This  I  freely  pledge  without  mental  reservation  or  evas¬ 
ion.  Furthermore,  that  I  will  do  all  in  my  power  to  elect  true  and 
reliable  Union  men  and  supporters  of  the  Government,  and  none  others, 
to  all  offices  of  profit  or  trust,  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest — in  ward, 
town,  county.  State  and  General  Government.  And  should  I  ever  be 
called  to  fill  any  office,  1  will  faithfully  carry  out  the  objects  and  prin¬ 
ciples  of  this  Lodge.  And  further,  that  I  will  protect,  aid  and  defend 
all  worthy  members  of  the  Union  League.  And  further,  I  will  never 
make  known,  in  any  way  or  manner,  to  any  person  or  persons  not 
members  of  the  Union  League,  any  of  the  signs,  passwords,  proceed¬ 
ings,  debates  or  plans  of  this  or  any  other  Council  under  this  organiza¬ 
tion,  except  when  engaged  in  admitting  new  members  into  this  Lodge. 
And  with  my  hand  upon  the  Holy  Bible,  Declaration  of  Independence, 
and  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  of  America,  under  the  seal  of 
my  sacred  honor,  I  acknowledge  myself  firmly  bound  and  pledged  to 
the  faithful  performance  of  this  my  solemn  obligation.  So  Help  Me 
God.” 


historical  address 


Then  the  members  formed  in  a  circle,  admitted  the  new  member,  or 
members,  and  with  clasped  and  uplifted  hands,  all  repeated  the  follow¬ 
ing— 

“FREEMAN’S  PLEDGE: 

“To  defend  and  perpetuate  Freedom  and  the  Union,  I  pledge  my 
life,  my  fortune,  and  my  sacred  honor.  So  Help  Me  God.” 

Then  followed  the  address  to  the  new  members,  which  was  quite 
lengthy,  but  full  of  religious  and  patriotic  admonition  as  to  the  duties 
every  patriot  owed  his  country,  the  Constitution  and  the  Flag. 

The  Pekin  Council  (or  Lodge)  increased  rapidly  in  membership, 
and  true  to  its  sworn  obligation,  very  materially  aided  the  Union  cause, 
the  needy  parents  and  families  of  those  who  had  joined  the  armed 
hosts,  and  who  were  on  the  line  of  battle,  struggling  against  the  trait¬ 
orous  cohorts. 

During  1863  the  additions  to  Pekin  Council  of  the  U.  L.  of  A.  num¬ 
bered,  among  others,  William  Gaither,  William  W.  Sellers,  Hezekiah 
Naylor,  Joshua  Wagenseller,  Charles  Parker,  Theodore  Wagenseller, 
William  W.  Clemens,  Isaac  Hawley,  Columbus  R.  Cummings,  Dr.  B.  F. 
Harris  and  Cornelius  Hinsey,  Groveland,  Jas.  W.  Robinson,  Reuben 
Bergstresser,  William  Hawley,  Thomas  B.  Reeves,  and  others. 

Many  patriotic  ladies  of  Pekin  became  members  of  the  U.  L.  of  A., 
and  took  part  in  all  open  meetings  of  the  Council.  Among  the  more 
prominent  ones  were  Grandma  Harlow,  Mrs.  Geo.  H.  Harlowr,  Miss 
Emma  Wagenseller,  Mrs.  Rate  Goodheart,  Mrs.  Filener  Sleetb-Hab- 
berfield,  Miss  Ophelia  McKinney,  Miss  Melsena  Miller,  Miss  Agnes  Ry- 
bolt,  Mrs.  Win .  W.  Sellers.  Miss  Nellie  Foster,  and  many  others. 

Among  the  many  patriotic  women  of  Pekin,  who  gave  energy,  time 
and  money,  to  alleviate  the  hardships  of  our  soldiers  in  the  civil  war, 
none  did  more  than  Mrs.  Mary  L.  Gregg- Westermann— “always  the 
soldier’s  friend.” 

The  organization  of  the  Sanitary  Commission,  with  headquarters  in 
Pekin,  had  an  able  leader  in  George  H.  Harlow.  He  was  aided  by  Co¬ 
lumbus  R.  Cummings  and  many  other  patriotic  gentlemen  and  ladies  of 
the  U.  L.  of  A.  A  wigwam  was  built  on  an  open  lot  at  what  is  today 
317,  319  and  3194  Court  street,  w  herein  was  held  a  great  Sanitary  Fair 
in  October,  1864,  at  which  nearly  $5,000  was  raised  for  the  Union 


cause. 


098495788 


s 


HISTORICAL 


30112 


A  D  D  R  E  S  S 


We  had  two  patriotic  organizations  composed  of  ladies,  who  ren¬ 
dered  valuable  aid  to  the  Sanitary  Commission:  Mrs.  Wm.  W.  Sellers 
was  president  of  the  Union  League  ladies,  and  Mrs.  Mary  L.  Wester- 
man  presided  at  the  meetings  of  the  Ladies’  Union  Aid  Society. 

On  the  return  of  the  three-year  Union  soldiers  in  the  summer  and 
fall  of  1864  they  were  drawn  into  the  U.  L.  of  A.,  to  give  the  Pekin 
Council  the  benefit  of  their  military  training.  These  soldier  “boys,” 
true  to  the  cause  they  had  been  fighting  for,  organized  themselves  into 
a  secret  military  body,  selected  Sergeant  Wm.  H.  Bates  as  their  cap¬ 
tain,  and  pledged  themselves  to  take  up  arms  anew  to  crush  any  “cop¬ 
perhead”  uprising  w  hich  might  occur.  Fully  half  of  their  number  were 
Union  Douglas  Democrats. 

Rev.  Jas.  K.  P.  Legg,  now  of  Keokee,  Lee  County,  Va.,  avers  that 
the  A.  L.  of  A.  lodge,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  had  a  password  which 
represented  five  capital  L7s,  and  stood  for  “Lincoln,  Liberty,  Law, 
Loyal,  League.” 

During  the  second  inauguration  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  Geo.  H.  Har¬ 
low  and  Dr.  D.  A.  Cheever,  of  Pekin,  and  J.  A.  Jones,  of  Tremont,  rep¬ 
resented  the  Tazewell  County  U.  L.  of  A.,  as  a  part  of  the  secret  body 
guard,  to  prevent  the  threatened  assassination  of  the  re-elected  Abra¬ 
ham  Lincoln. 

On  the  disbandment  of  the  Pekin  Council,  the  altar  flag,  the  bust 
of  Lincoln  and  the  gavel  were  bequeathed  to  the  last  President,  Dr.  D. 
A.  Cheever,  which  we  are  informed  still  remain  in  possession  of  bis 
heirs. 

We  are  under  obligation  to  “  Patriotism  of  Illinois,”  VoL  2.  by  Rev. 
T.  M.  Eddy;  “  The  Great  Conspiracy,”  by  Gen.  John  A.  Logan;  Miss 
Mary  Gaither,  Pekin;  Mrs.  Filener  S.  Bates  (who  was  a  member  of  the 
Pekin  Council),  Pekin;  R.  A.  Harlow,  Helena,  Montana;  Miss  Emily 
C.  Cheever,  (daughter  of  Dr.  D.  A.  Cheever)  ,  the  Misses  Helen  and 
Elizabeth  Bryan,  daughters  of  Alice  Cheever  and  Alonzo  H.  Bryan, 
and  granddaughters  of  Dr.  Cheever),  of  Champaign,  Ill.;  Mrs.  Jessie 
Palmer- Weber,  Secretary  of  the  State  Historical  Society,  Springfield, 
Illinois,  et  al.,  for  clerical  as  well  as  oral  aid'. 

Fraternally  yours, 

WILLIAM  H.  BATES 

Formerly  a  member  of  Co.  “H,”  8th  Mo.  (American  Zouaves), 
1st  Brigade,  2nd  Division,  15th  Army  Corps. 


